Morecambe squad is in need of impetus

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Published:07:00Tuesday 04 September 2018

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Morecambe begin their Checkatrade Trophy campaign at Carlisle United on Tuesday evening with manager Jim Bentley hoping for a change of fortune.

The Shrimps head to Brunton Park for the first of their group stage matches, followed by home games against Stoke City on October 9 and Sunderland on November 13.

Jim Bentley

Bentley’s players go into the match on the back of a fifth defeat in six after losing 3-2 at Bury last weekend.

It was the third of three games against sides relegated from League One last season, following on from their promising performances against Northampton Town and Oldham Athletic.

However, it proved to be one game too many as the Shrimps paid the price for some poor passages of play.

Not least was the way in which, having equalised through Rhys Oates in the first half at Gigg Lane, they allowed Bury to retake the lead moments later with half-time approaching through Dominic Telford.

He scored again late on with Liam Mandeville’s injury-time goal nothing but consolation.

“They had the lion’s share of possession and entries in the final into the final third but you could tell the crowd were turning,” Bentley said.

“If we got through at 1-1, the momentum was with us because we had scored last.

“They are all things that we speak about because we are miles behind Bury with regards to the size of the budget and training facilities.

“Our frontline is inexperienced – Jason Oswell was two leagues below last season, Carlos Mendes Gomes was at West Didsbury and Rhys Oates was a level below.

“We are a work in progress and there are things we have to get better at. The home side scores right on half-time and the crowd gets right behind them.

“To be fair to us, we came out in the second half and the subsitutes affected the game.